1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a steering apparatus that has a telescopic adjustment function of adjusting a position of a steering wheel in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and a connector.
2. Discussion of Background
US 2011/308348 A1 suggests a steering apparatus that includes: a steering column having two tubes (an inner tube that is a front-side tube and an outer tube that is a rear-side tube located rearward of the front-side tube in the vehicle longitudinal direction) that move relative to each other in the axial direction of a steering shaft through telescopic adjustment; and a connecting wire that is used to connect the inner tube and the outer tube of the steering column to each other and to prevent disconnection of the tubes.
The steering column is arranged on the vehicle body side so as to be extendible in the axial direction of the steering shaft. The steering column is configured to extend or contract through relative movement between the inner tube and the outer tube.
One end portion of the connecting wire is fitted to the inner tube, and the other end portion of the connecting wire is fitted to the outer tube.
The inner tube and the outer tube of the thus configured steering apparatus are coupled to each other by fitting the one end portion of the connecting wire to the inner tube and fitting the other end portion of the connecting wire to the outer tube.
In the thus configured steering apparatus, for example, as shown in FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B, when tubes (not shown) are connected to each other, a wire fitting bracket 200 having rotation restricting protrusions 200a, 200b and a bolt insertion hole 200c is fitted in advance to each end portion of a connecting wire 201, then a bolt (not shown) is passed through the bolt insertion hole 200c, and the wire fitting bracket 200 is fitted to the corresponding tube with the bolt. At this time, in order to avoid loosening of the bolt due to rotation of the wire fitting bracket 200, which is caused by pulling the connecting wire 201, the rotation restricting protrusions 200a, 200b are engaged with the corresponding tube.
However, in the above-described steering apparatus, with a structure in which the connecting wire 201 is fitted to the corresponding tube just using the wire fitting bracket 200 having the rotation restricting protrusions 200a, 200b, the wire fitting bracket 200 may be fitted to the corresponding tube with the front and back faces inverted (erroneously fitted state). In this case, the rotation restricting protrusions 200a, 200b are not able to function.
Therefore, there has been a demand for a steering apparatus in which erroneous fitting of the wire fitting bracket 200 is prevented when the connecting wire 201 is fitted to the corresponding tube (steering column).